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NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State (3-7, 1-6 MEAC) completes its 2012 season by hosting Morgan State University (3-6, 2-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dick Price Stadium. The game has been designated Senior Day in addition to Military Appreciation Day. All active duty, retired and reserve military with their military ID will be admitted at the cost of $5.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
NSU (3-7 overall, 1-6 MEAC) put an end to its seven-game losing streak with a 33-21 Homecoming victory over Savannah State last week. Freshman Conley Smith scored on three short touchdown runs – the first TDs of his career – and quarterback Nico Flores accounted for 329 yards of total offense. Flores passed for 213 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a career-high 116 yards. Randy Maynes also rushed for a career-high 116 yards as the Spartans ran for 234 yards, their second-best total of the season. Not to be outdone, receiver Xavier Boyce made six catches for 101 yards and a score. The Spartans outgained SSU 447-220.

After their big day last week, NSU moved up to fifth in the conference in total offense, averaging 317.6 yards per game. The Spartans remain second in the conference in total defense, allowing 283.8 yards per outing. After notching a season-high eight sacks last week, the Spartans now lead the conference with 28 on the year (2.8 per game). Sophomore George Riddick, who had a career-best three sacks last week, is third in the conference with 5.5 sacks. Teammate Lynden Trail is sixth, with 5.0. Trail also has a MEAC-best 16.0 tackles for loss, and Jamal Giddens is tied for the MEAC-lead with three forced fumbles.

SCOUTING THE BEARS
Morgan State (3-6 overall, 2-4 MEAC) has now lost four in a row after a 24-13 setback against first-place Bethune-Cookman last week in Baltimore, Md. The Bears were held to 197 yards of total offense, including just 76 on the ground. Senior running back Travis Davidson, who entered the game as the conference's leading rusher, was held to 46 yards on 17 carries. He did score MSU's lone touchdown on a 4-yard run in the first quarter. The Bears currently rank 10th in the MEAC in both total offense (298.6 ypg) and total defense (428.3 ypg). MSU is dangerous on special teams, as the Bears pace the conference in kickoff returns (24.5-yard average) and are the only MEAC team with two kickoff return touchdowns this year. Davidson is second in the MEAC in rushing yards per game (94.6 ypg) and his 13 touchdowns are the most of any MEAC player. Kicker Earvin Gonzalez is tied for the MEAC-lead with 13 made field goals.

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QUICK HITS FROM SAVANNAH STATE
• Nico Flores and Randy Maynes both set new career highs with 116 yards rushing apiece. It was the first 100-yard rushing game for either, and it marked the first time since Sept. 24, 2005 that NSU had two separate players rush for at least 100 yards. Seven years ago, Terrell Johnson, Daryl Jones and Monte' Anthony all accomplished the feat in a three-OT game against Bethune-Cookman.
• NSU tallied 447 yards of offense, second-most this season behind the Delaware State game (455 on Oct. 6).
• Xavier Boyce had 101 yards receiving, his first 100-yard game of the year and fourth in the last two seasons.
• The last time NSU had a receiver go over the 100-yard mark and a running back ran for at least 100 yards in the same game was Oct. 8, 2011, when Takeem Hedgeman had 132 rushing yards and Boyce had 124 receiving yards.
• George Riddick had a career-high three sacks and intercepted a pass for the first time at NSU.
• The Spartans had a season high eight sacks, bringing them up to a MEAC-leading 28.

FLORES BACK IN AT QB
Nico Flores, who started the first five games of the year at quarterback before moving to receiver following the S.C. State game on Sept. 29, returned to his old spot under center last week. After first-year sophomore Pierre Narcisse struggled in his start at North Carolina A&T and Jake Basmagian also struggled before being hurt at Bethune-Cookman, Flores stepped in and had one of his better games of the year. He rushed for a career-high 116 yards and completed 17-of-28 throws for 213 yards and a touchdown, earning him MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. It was likely his second-best game of the year, following a 387-yard passing day vs. Howard on Sept. 15, the most passing yards by a Spartan since Dontrell Leonard's 439 at Morgan State in 2003. Flores did throw two interceptions last week, increasing NSU's season total to a MEAC-high 21 on the year. The school record for most interceptions thrown by an NSU team in a single season is 23 in 1998.

THE MAYNES ATTRACTION
While not big in stature (5-8, 170), running back Randy Maynes has always displayed a toughness that has endeared him to coaches. Last week was no different as Maynes recorded career highs in carries (32) and yards (116) while filling in for Takeem Hedgeman and Brendon Riddick, who were held out of the game for violating team rules. Maynes' previous career highs were 16 carries for 72 yards against Hampton last season. By beating SSU, NSU improved to 5-2 over the last two seasons in games where Maynes leads the team in rushing. Maynes had three TD runs last year, and all came in the second halves of otherwise tight games (Hampton, N.C. A&T and Morgan State).

SENIOR DAY
This week marks the final home game in the careers of 18 Spartans. The group has contributed to 25 victories over the past four years, including the school's fi rst MEAC title last season. The group includes: RBs Takeem Hedgeman, Randy Maynes, Calvin Roberts and Bryant Bailey; WRs Xavier Boyce and Reggie Garrett; OL Michael Kay, Theo Duncan and Blake Matthews; DL Cameron Jude, Steven Bunce and walk-ons Darnell Johnson and Kendall Jones; LBs Terrence Pugh, Jamal Giddens and Eric Hitch; DB Marcus Cooperwood; and K Everett Goldberg.